Trump signals U.S. may pause Iran strikes, leaves Vance to focus on domestic fraud

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States no longer requires a formal deal with Iran to end the eight-month conflict. He directed Vice President JD Vance to pivot his focus toward the administration's domestic anti-fraud campaign. This shift comes after Trump declared the war militarily effective over at the start of the week.

The president acknowledged on the day after the midterm elections that the war and its global economic impact contributed to Republican losses. He maintained the decision to launch strikes was correct. Trump told conservative broadcaster Hugh Hewitt on Thursday that he would not hesitate to act if current conditions failed to work out.

Trump warned that the U.S. military remains locked and loaded. He noted that American forces are monitoring activity at Pickaxe Mountain. This facility is linked to Iran's nuclear program. The president stated that the economic pressure on the Iranian regime is so severe that military action may be unnecessary.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this stance in a Friday evening speech to the Federalist Society. He said the economic pain inflicted on the regime has weakened it significantly. Rubio emphasized that the U.S. is not opposed to mediators continuing their efforts. He stated that the president would favor a deal, provided it is not a bad one.

Qatar, serving as the chief mediator, continues to negotiate an interim agreement. The goal is to restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway is vital for the flow of oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. Two Middle East diplomats said the situation appeared on the right track after Qatar's prime minister met with Trump earlier this week.

The uncertainty deepened when Trump posted on social media that the U.S. does not need a deal with Iran. He told Vance to give his complete and total attention to the anti-fraud campaign. One diplomat said this move raised questions about why Vance was being sidelined. Vance had been weighing a possible reengagement with senior Iranian negotiators.

A person familiar with the matter said Trump was aware of Vance's deliberations. The president believed the Iranians were not acting in good faith. Trump posted his message the morning after The Wall Street Journal reported Vance was thinking about resuming talks. This action created a sense of limbo for mediators and Iranian officials.

The United Nations reported that October had the highest number of incidents against commercial ships in the contested waters since February. Despite this, Trump believes oil shipments through the strait are reaching near-prewar levels. He could potentially leave it to Gulf countries to negotiate a deal with Iran on governing the waterway.

Iran's deputy U.N. ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi told the Security Council on Friday that Iran has never closed the door to diplomacy. He warned that the U.S. or Israel would face an immediate and decisive response if they return to bombing. Michael Singh of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy expects the status quo to persist for some time.

Singh noted that the U.S. and Iran remain locked in a stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. continues its monthslong naval blockade to curb Iranian crude flows. He suggested that patience and continued pressure are the most sensible paths forward for the administration.